Reproductive interventions for more efficient
sheep and goats breeding programs
Mourad Rekik (ICARDA)
Mid-Term Livestock Genetics Flagship Meeting, ILRI, Nairobi, 5-6 September 2017

State of the art of reproduction of
Ethiopian sheep breeds

Low Reproductive Performances
 Local breeds have been little selected for improved productivity including
reproduction
 Low dependency on photoperiod but seasonality geared by other
environmental factors for some breeds
 Delayed puberty and sexual maturity
 High prevalence of diseases
 Large phenotypic variability of litter size
 Variable lambing rates and overall tendency to be low
 Take-off of the best performing animals
 Slaughter of pregnant animals

Rams’ breeding soundness in all CBBP locations:
release of fit rams
- Systematic examination of selected ram
lambs
- Regular examination for each batch of
selected rams
- General clinical exam
- General health and body condition
- Detailed exam of the integrity of the
reproductive organs
- Semen and libido assessment towards full
reproductive certification

Consequences for intensity of selection
79
8 8
2 3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Normal Undersized Suspicion of
epididymitis
Cryptochrid Adhesion
Frequency of the aspect of testicles
Frequency

Field Solution for the Artificial Insemination of
Ethiopian Sheep Breeds
Breeding for future
generations…

The community based breeding program (CBBP) in Ethiopia: not only a history
of 8 years of community mobilization but also of a steady genetic progress
 Participatory breeding –
decentralized breeding plans
and programs;
 Improvement programs
carried out by communities of
smallholder farmers often at
subsistence level;
 Community based breeding
relies on proper consideration
of farmers, breeding
objectives, infrastructure,
participation and ownership.
Menz Horro Bonga
Overall 0.14± 0.006 0.31± 0.060 0.26± 0.058
2009 0.07± 0.017 -0.07±0.266
2010 0.08± 0.013 -0.03±0.143 0.18± 0.189
2011 0.11± 0.014 0.06± 0.095 0.22± 0.158
2012 0.13± 0.015 0.24± 0.082 0.24± 0.139
2013 0.20± 0.016 0.36± 0.086 0.35± 0.112
2014 0.25± 0.014 0.28± 0.079 0.46± 0.082
2015 0.14± 0.027 0.52± 0.097 0.32± 0.065
2016 0.78± 0.339 0.38± 0.209
Estimated BV for six months weight

Year round breeding activity: accelerated reproduction &
catalyzer to hasten genetic progress
Bonga Totally
aseasonal
1.4 litter size 8 months
lambing
interval
Doyogena Totally
aseasonal
1.3-1.4 litter
size
8 months
lambing
interval
Menz Sexually less
active
during the
wet season
1.1 litter size 10 months
lambing
interval

Development of a field solution for sheep insemination:
Towards up/out-scaling CBBP’s
• Rams’ selection and training;
• Synchronization preceded by ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis in
small-mixed flocks to discard pregnant females;
• Simple, low-cost synchronization options;
• Use of fresh semen, collected, assessed, diluted and used at 35 ˚C;
• Cervical AI of sheep after synchronization;
• Low infrastructure field labs;
• Simple manual straw filling devices.

Ewes’ selection for synchronization
• Selection of adult ewes;
• Successfully lambed previous
season;
• Not suckling;
• Body condition score > 2.5;
• Synchronization preceded by
ultrasound pregnancy
diagnosis in small-mixed
flocks to discard pregnant
females.

Different synchronization options
Conventional synthetic progestogen + eCG (PMSG)
1
5
Progestrone levels (ng/ml)
Sponges left in
11 - 14 days
eCG 300
I.U.
LH
Oestradi
ol
Ovulation
Corpus luteum
(Progesterone)
Time
+ 48 h AI 52-55 h
Sponges in
OESTRUS
Sponges out
2
days
0
5
10
15
2 10 18 26 34 42 54 74
Numberofewes
Hours of onset of oestrus
100%

Day 0: PGF2α analogue
dinoprost 1 ml Enzaprost
Day 11: PGF2α analogue
dinoprost 1 ml Enzaprost
0
2
4
6
8
2 10 18 26 34 42 54 74
Numberofewes
Hours of onset of oestrus
AI: 55-57 h after
second injection
79%

Day 0: GnRH
analogue
gonadorelin
1 ml Cystoreline
Day 6: PGF2α analogue
dinoprost
1 ml Enzaprost
0
2
4
6
8
10
2 10 18 26 34 42 54 74
Numberofewes
Hours of onset of oestrus
AI: 32-36 h after
second injection of
GnRH
Day 9: GnRH analogue
gonadorelin
1 ml Cystoreline
73%

Safer, accessible and affordable synchronization
alternatives
Using a simple protocol of 2 injections of a prostaglandin analogue 11
days apart:
 Increased fertility to 89% compared to only 70% with the standard
protocol after natural mating,
 Levels of synchronization of estrus were satisfactory to allow fixed time
artificial insemination,
 The cost of the new protocol is US$ 1.3 compared to US$ 8.5 for the
conventional protocol,
 The new protocol is based on products registered and available in the
Ethiopian market unlike the products which form the conventional
protocol.

0
1
2
3
10 14 18 22 26 30 34 38 42 46 50
Numberofewes
Hours of onset of oestrus
PGF I
PGF II
Further simplifying to one single injection of a PGF2α analogue
and to a 7-days interval between PGF2α injections

Capacity development
Upgrading local infrastructure in 4 sheep sites in synergy with the national system.
Established reproductive platforms are providing the following services:
1. Males’ breeding soundness examination
2. Artificial insemination with fresh, non-cooled semen
3. Ultrasound service provision for pregnancy diagnosis
Inauguration of the Doyogenna platform

On-job training
- Delivered to at least 40 staff members of the
national institutions in different locations
- Breeding soundness examination
- Semen collection, assessment and handling for
fresh AI
- Semen deposition
- Data recording
- Ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis
- 2 core teams in Doyogenna and Debre Birhan
fully autonomous and supervising AI’s in the new
locations

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